CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 11/17/06

High Risk, High Reward

By danny munso

Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis reboot the Bond franchise to show us James' origins as a spy, and introduce us to the woman who made him into the man we love, in a gritty, dark film that may be the series' best yet.

Casino Royale (2006)

Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Paul Haggis
Based on the novel by Ian Fleming

Based on Ian Fleming's first entry in his storied espionage novels, Casino Royale introduces us to a James Bond (Daniel Craig) never shown on-screen before: a mistake-prone and not-yet-slick secret agent just promoted to "00" status. He begins tracking Frenchman Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), banker to the world's top terrorist organizations who literally cries tears of blood. After losing close to $150 million on an investment (thanks to Mr. Bond), Le Chiffre plans to recover the funds at a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro. In order to derail him, Bond enters the game under the supervision of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), a MI6 accountant who matches Bond's wits and captures his heart. Unfortunately, Vesper gets more involved with Le Chiffre's plot than planned, and Bond's mission suddenly becomes very personal.

Right from its stark, black-and-white opening showing us 007's first two kills, Casino Royale distances itself from previous Bond outings (especially the previous film adaptation, which played it for laughs). The second kill is the work of the ice-cold British assassin we're used to, but the first is a messy affair that shows how brutal and difficult it is to really kill a man as he struggles to dispatch a henchman standing guard. This Bond is truly novelist Ian Fleming's vision. He is cool and calm, but by no means invincible. The producers wanted to bring 007 back down to Earth, and at almost every turn, the screenwriting team made up of Bond vets Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day) along with Oscar-winner Paul Haggis (Crash, Million Dollar Baby) gets it right. The most important element to Bond is his character, and with this reboot the writers strip away all the gadgets and series' clichés to bring us the origin story of how James Bond became the Queen's deadliest secret agent. By creating a compelling man beneath the amenities, Purvis, Wade and Haggis have created a memorable story by creating a more mature, realistic world in which to ground our protagonist, his relationships, the plot, and even the action sequences -- and in the end re-created the Bond films into a franchise you don't want to take your eyes off of.

For a series that always tries to one-up itself, the writers do well to avoid that, and instead focus their energy on making Casino Royale's best moments about its characters. The first meeting between James and Vesper is an immediate addition to any list of the franchise's best scenes. Bond runs through his usual cocky size-up of his female companion, but Vesper comes right back at him and nails James better than any character ever has. While Fleming's Vesper was the typical female sidekick, the film's version is a character very much up to the challenge of being in love with James Bond. Later, in a torture scene where Le Chiffre batters a naked Bond in the one place no man would want to be battered, the writers really separate their film from the others' flashy style. It's a brutal, excruciating sequence, one that makes Goldfinger's threat of a laser to the crotch seem tame. But if it sounds like the trio of writers sucked the fun out of the franchise, think again: after winning his famed Aston Martin in a game of poker, Bond is quick to remind the previous owner to leave him the valet ticket.

Not to be overlooked, however, is the writer's ability to blend Bond's new emotional backbone with the series' classic hallmarks. In fact, if you look close enough, Casino Royale isn't all that different from previous Bond installments. Yes, Q and his zany gadgets are nowhere to be found (the most important gadget in the film actually turns out to be a defibrillator), but the unmistakable British charm that even the worst Bond films got by on is thankfully still intact. The film doesn't do things a whole lot differently; it just does them a lot better. The action is still a little overblown, but there are no invisible cars involved. There were always attempts at emotion in past films, but it's never really worked until now. Even Bond's CIA chum Felix Leiter is reintroduced, only this time played by a great actor (Jeffrey Wright) and given some actual characterization. When the film finally ends, you realize that Casino Royale is not so much of a reinvention as it is a resurrection.

If the script has a drawback, it's in the way the writers chose to wrap up the third act. The twists and turns aren't adequately explained, and even a few loose ends are left to dangle. (There certainly seems to be a scene missing in the film's final sequences.) There aren't many wasted moments in the script in general, but a few minutes less action and a few more devoted to wrapping up the movie's emotional climax might have done a lot of a good. That being said, it's hard to beat the film's closing line (brilliantly delivered by Craig).

With their raw, emotional portrayal of a spy in love and their commitment to character over action, Neil Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis have come up with maybe the best version of Bond yet, and one that would surely make Ian Fleming beam with pride…even if this Bond happens to be blonde.

Casino Royale

Columbia Pictures
Rated PG-13; 144 min.

Buy tickets now

Danny Munso graduated from film school in 2004 and can currently be found on his computer working on one of his many half-written screenplays. Or, more likely, he's on the Internet checking the scores of his beloved Bay Area sports teams.

Casino Royale courtesy Columbia Pictures

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